data structure for Family tree

Question

I want to know that which data structure suits best for storing the family tree for a person, there are spousal, child and parental relationships. Also i want to know that if one person is has blood relationship with other.

It would be good i some data structure from c++ STL can be found.

Just ideas are required.

score 4 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:59

4

A graph would be best suited for this, and I suggest you use Boost.

Note that building a family tree can prove to be tricky, as illustrated by this question.

Otherwise, std doesn't define a graph data structure. And since a graph is obviously best suited for your situation, I suggest you either implement your own version, or use Boost.

edited May 23 '17 at 11:59

Community

1
1

answered Dec 13 '11 at 10:11

Luchian Grigore

245,575
61
446
609

1

I was just gonna post that link... +1 :) – jrok Dec 13 '11 at 10:13

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Dec 13 '11 at 10:14

Is it homework?

Even if it's called “Tree”, It's a bad structure : imagine two brother who marry two sisters.

A general graph structure would be the best (a tree being a specific form of a graph). The edge would carry the relationship. Then you can run a path finding algorithm (like good old dijkstra) only on edges which represent blood relationship.

And boost::graph is a very good library.

data structure for Family tree

2 Answers2